Hot oil pulled flame retardants out of black plastic utensils
University of Birmingham researchers found that, on average, a fifth of the flame retardants in contaminated black plastic utensils moved into hot cooking oil.…
United Kingdom
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A floating marina bin caught 0.18 kg of litter in a month
The only independent field test of a Seabin found it caught 0.18 kg of litter in 750 hours in a Plymouth marina, along with…
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per tonne in UK Plastic Packaging Tax from April 2026
Charged on plastic packaging with less than 30% recycled content, for businesses making or importing 10 tonnes or more a year. It rises every…
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England single-use carrier bag charge
A charge on single-use plastic bags, 5p at large retailers from October 2015 and 10p at all retailers from May 2021, has cut main-retailer…
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UK Plastic Packaging Tax
A per-tonne tax on plastic packaging containing less than 30 percent recycled content, rising with inflation each April.
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UK packaging Extended Producer Responsibility (pEPR)
Producers now pay the full net cost of collecting and managing household packaging waste under regulations in force since 1 January 2025, with plastic…
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UK Deposit Return Scheme for drinks containers
A refundable deposit on PET, aluminium and steel drinks containers from 150 ml to 3 litres, launching across England, Northern Ireland and Scotland on…
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UK single-use plastics bans (plates, cutlery, polystyrene foam, straws, microbeads)
England banned plastic plates, cutlery, balloon sticks and polystyrene foam cups and containers from October 2023, following straws, stirrers and cotton buds in 2020…
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UK ban on wet wipes containing plastic
All four UK nations will ban the supply of plastic-containing wet wipes, starting with Wales on 18 December 2026, then Northern Ireland and England…
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Microplastic fibres found deep inside living human lungs
UK surgeons and scientists found microplastics in 11 of 13 lung tissue samples, including the deepest regions of the lung.